Say Anything

My friend, John, asked me to come sit for his art class.  The class consists mostly of lovely, older women.  One of the lovelies said as I first assumed my statue state, “I woulda thought you’d a done something really great with your hair today.”

I VOTED

Did you wear your sticker?  Did you get free stuff?  I went to an election party Tuesday night, and people started talking about all the free stuff you could get by flashing your I VOTED sticker.  Krispy Kreme donuts, Starbucks coffee, a Chick-fil-A sandwich.  That’s all I caught, but there were more suggestions. 

Well, since I had to go home and grade 9-wk. Latin translations, I left the party early.  I went by Krispy Kreme on my way home, and beamed at the girl behind the counter, “I voted!” while pointing at my sticker.  The girl just looked at me.  So I added, “Are you all giving away free donuts to people who voted?”

“No, we ran out.”

“Wait. What?”

The girl informed me that they had run out of the free donuts. 

“But there are myriads of donuts behind you.  I mean, a donut is a donut, right?”

“No.  The free donuts had blue icing with patriotic sprinkles.”

Not wanting to be that customer who complains about not getting something free–when in reality I didn’t even want a donut before I heard they were free–I just said, “Oh.  That’s disappointing.  Have a good night.”

And left.  Then I convinced myself that I should get *something* free, since all these places were offering.  I mean, at least there are still celebrating the privilege and responsibility to vote and not succumbing to all this voting is against my conscience bs.  I rerouted my way home and stopped by CFA.  Not the 9-Mile store, the cash cow on Bayou. 

I walked in and tried again, beaming anew, “I voted!” 

And the girl just looked at me.  You have got to be kidding me.  So I let her know what I had heard:  about their giving away free sandwiches today.  She huffed, like she was practicing breathing out for the doctor holding a stethescope to her chest.  Finding some words for her, I asked, “Is that not true?” 

“I could give you a free drink.” 

“No, that’s ok.  I just had heard that you guys were giving sandwiches–”

She had turned the manager and in a quite accusatory tone informed her, “This lady wants a free sandwich because she voted.” 

Now, now.  Wait just a second.  I was not demanding anything.  I was just investigated these allegedly free sandwiches.  Which I assume they are not…

The manager filled me in, “Somehow it got out on the internet, but CFA did not approve that.  Some states are doing that.  But not us.”

“Oh.  ok.”

…And since Starbucks was right next door, I had to find out if that was a hoax too.  I didn’t go inside.  I just got to the drivethrough.  And since they have that camera in the DT, I showed my sticker.  “I voted.  Are you guys giving out free coffee?”

“Yes.”  oh good!

“Do you still have some free coffee left?”

“Yes.”  oh good!

“Awesome.  I’ll have a cup of free coffee.  with cream please.  oh wait.  I’ve been hearing about this salted carmel cocoa.  May I have that instead?”

“Sure, but that’s not free.”

“It’s ok.”

“ok.  $3.68″

I pulled up to the window, and found a kid with an I VOTED sticker as well.  Voter and I were making small talk about voting, and he informed me that they actually were giving coffee away to anyone who asked, since the legal department informed them that they were actually bribing people to vote by giving coffee.  And some people just don’t believe in voting.  Some people can’t vote.  So it’s not fair to give only voters free coffee. 

WHAT!?  This is ridiculous.  So I start getting on this soapbox about people not voting, and about patriotism, and relaying the story about KK and CFA, and some guy comes up behind Voter, and whispers in his ear.  Voter’s face fell.  “I am so sorry.  We just ran out of that cocoa.  I’ll give you a refund, and you could have anything else.” 

I figured it was a sign.  “eh.  No worries.  I’m glad you voted.  Have a good night!”

ps.  I was not the only one who heard of the free stuff.

Prescription: laughter pills.

Take two and call me in the morning. 

One.

This is my fav: 

Evidently overly dramatic people can use the stairs whenever.

Two.

just another manic monday

LOVE

Amy Grant’s “Baby, Baby”

old, soft jeans

trying new recipes

friends who know my ick and love me anyway

reading a whole novel in one day

HATE

having too much to do in one day, even if i didn’t take time to write this post

running in cold weather

laundry

being on hold for more than 45 minutes

Summer Resolutions

One of the many things I love about being a teacher is the plentiful opportunities to evaluate and set new goals throughout the year.  I have many goals for a productive summer.  I thought I’d share them in order to keep accountable.  Here they are in no particular order:

• Fix the rhetoric cirriculum for next year.
• Read 30 books.  (My list is continually morphing; so if you have any strong recommendations, keep ‘em coming!)
• Run with the 6 @ 6 club.  (six miles @ 6 a.m. – but only two days a week)
• Choose a play for next year.
• Paint the outside of the house.
• Write two articles for the Auxillium.
• Visit 8 states with Sarah.
• Landscape the yard.

As you can see, I’ll be quite busy.  I’ll keep you updated as I check things off my list!

Weird

I know, I know.  Lauren tagged me many moons ago.  But, I just can’t think of that many weird things about me.  I’m sure everyone will be happy to volunteer weird info about me.  I do have a few–and a few have already been volunteered.

 1.  My bedroom can, and often does, have books or laundry strewn on my bed, chest, floor; but my closet will always be organized according to color and type of article. 

2.  Weird things always happen to me.  I know I don’t really have control over this.  But why is it that some people seem to have completely normal weeks one right after the other, while I can’t get through a week without something crazy happening.  I think of Adrienne.  She knows my plight.  (Adrienne, I hope that the Hess story is on your blog.)  My friend Trudy says that God knows who can handle the crazy stuff, and gives it all to them.  I don’t think I handle all the insane situations that well.  For instance, I now pretty much hate all homeless-looking pedestrians. 

3.  I am very indecisive.  Not about stuff that really matters.  But it could take me 30 minutes to pick an outfit, choose where to go for dinner, order dinner, or decide what comment to put at the bottom of a magistra.

4.  I cannot tolerate excessive movement.  I must qualify this statement, because I’m sure you might be thinking something like, “Wait.  Anna, you kick your leg 5 feet in the air and squeal ‘woo hoo’ more than most people smile in a day.”  A chorus line type kick with appropriate excitement is never excessive.  I’m talking about when you are NOT supposed to be moving, and people find some part of their body, mouth, or pencil to incessantly tap, jiggle, wiggle, bounce, pop–you get the idea.  I think this stems from Coretta Grass in a voice class I took.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said to my students, “Put all your energy into learning, not tapping your pencil.”  or fill in whatever annoying RLS b.s. you want.

5.  “Within 30 minutes you can be the life and death of any party.”  This is contributed by Jonathan.  It’s true.  I don’t know what happens.  I can be so full of energy, and then it’s like someone turns off the switch, and I have to go to bed right then.  Maybe I am a narcoleptic.  or selfish.  …tomato, tomahto

6.  The only other thing I can think of that someone might deem weird is how I wasn’t quite myself around Justin or Andy when we first met.  But I think I’ve grown out of that.  So I’ll pick for #6:  I rarely listen to go-get-’em, crazy fast music.  It seems like someone with my personality should.  But I’ll choose Cowboy Junkies, Norah Jones, Damien Rice, or cello any day. 

7.  oh, hold on.  one more.  I refuse to use T9.  I hate it.  If your phone doesn’t recognize the right word to pick, then you have to go back, turn T9 off, erase what the T9 put in, then redo it.  ug.  That irks me more than just using regular texting. 

I’ve taken a ton of words to tell only 7 weird things, and I’m supposed to have 8.  But I don’t think I have any other quirks or things I obsess about or things I really loathe.  If you think of one, you just let me know. 

B-I-N-G-O

well, folks, it turns out – bingo is much more than a song.  it is a game.  a serious game. 

there are rules.  more rules than you just cover up whatever letter/number combination that is called.  you have to use certain papers for certain games.  sometimes you can get a true bingo, but sometimes you have to get a “post stamp” (which is a square in any corner of the bingo card) or some other concocted way of winning. 

the bingo hall opens at 10 a.m.  and closes at midnight.  this is one of the few places in florida that you can still smoke.  pretty much everyone there is a regular. 

theresa, sarah, and i ventured out before christmas to check it out. 

we arrived after 9:30, and the hall was in the middle of a session – so we had to wait.  it was good that we had time to gather our supplies:  a dabber ($1 ~ available at your local bingo palace) and a roll of quarters.  the manager was a very scrawny young, spry fellow.  after explaining that this was our first time to visit this fine establishment and we would need some instruction of protocol, he eagerly told us all the rules, which papers to use when, and shouted out to the entire hall, “VIRGINS!  we got three virgins here!”

awesome. 

we were ready to begin.  we sat beside a veteran bingo player, making sure to do everything she said.  we used only paper and dabbers.  we could have used computers that play 9 games at a time, which would significantly increase our odds of winning.  but we were in it as much for the experience as for winning.  no computers for us. 

i took a picture with the manager, and his hand slid to my nether-region.  so…the picture didn’t turn out so well. 

right when we sat down, a man won $250.  an hour later, sarah won $25.  the bingo hall had to close early because there weren’t enough people.  so we went home around 11:15.  fun was had by all.  sarah was $18 richer.  this is her card.  sorry you have to look sideways.